Check-row corn-planter



N0. 6l2,693. Patented Oct. I8, I898.

R. L. ALEXANDER.

CHECK ROW CORN PLANTEB.

(Application filed Sept. 9, 1897.)

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No. 6l2,693. Patented Oct. I8, I898.

R L. ALEXANDER.

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No. 612,693. Patnted Oct I8, [898.

R. L. ALEXANDER .CHECK BOW CUHN PLANTERL (Application filedsept. 9,1897.)

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No. s|2,e9a. v I Patented Oc t. l8, I898.

n. ALEXANDER. CHECK ROW CORN PLANTEB.

(Application filed Sept; 9, 1897.) (No Model.)

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ROBERT LEE ALEXANDER, OF STOUTLAND, MISSOURI.

CHECK-ROW CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,693, dated October18, 1898. Application filed September 9, 1397- Serial No. 651,079. (Nomodel.)

To a. whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT LEE ALEXAN- DER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Stoutland, in the county of Camden and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check-RowCorn- Planters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and usef ul improvements incheck-row corn-planters and the object is to simplify the constructionand improve the efficiency of the implement.

To this end the invention consists in the construction, combination, andarrangement of the several parts of the device, as will be hereinaftermore fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings the same reference characters indicate thesame parts of the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved check-row corn-planter. Fig.2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section. Fig.4 is a transverse section on the line of the main axle. Fig. 5 is asimilar view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectionon the line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a bottom plan'vie-w of theseedboxes. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section on the line of one of thefurrow-opener blades.

1 represents an approximately U-shaped horizontal frame, preferablyformed of angleiron, and it is provided with bearings 2 2, in which isjournaled the transverse axle 3, so as to rotate freely therein.

4 and 5 represent carrying-wheels mounted on the outer ends of saidaxle, the wheel 5 being loosely journaled thereon, while the wheel 4 isfixed on the opposite end of the axle, so as to rotate the same when themachine is in motion.

The forward ends 6 6 of the frame 1 are turned downwardly, as shown, andin the immediate ends are pivoted the clips 7 7, whigh encompass thetransverse shaft 8, fixed in the runner or opener frame 9.

10 represents the usual pole or tongue fixed to tho'transvcrse bar 11,and its rear end is coupled to the transverse shaft 8.

. 12 12 represent the circular seedboxes supported upon thefurrow-opener blades 13 13 and 14 14, forming the outer ends of theopener-frame 9. 15 represents a transverse shaft j ournaled in saidopener-frame and pro vided at its outer ends with the bevel-gears 16 16,which mesh with the corresponding gears 17 17, fixed on the lower endsof the vertical shafts 18 18, journaled in the bottom of the seedboxes.

19 19 represent the seed-disks fixed on the upper ends of the verticalshafts 18 18, located in the bottom of the seedboxes. The bottoms ofthese seedboxes are provided with a series of vertical orifices 21,which register with corresponding seed-orifices 20 in the seed-disks 19and which are alined with the vertical grooves 22, formed in thestandards 23 24, which connect the seedboxes with the furrow-openerblades 13 14, the seed-orifices extending through and communicating withthe longitudinal grooves 26, formed in the bottom face of thefurrow-opener blades 13 14.

The shaft 15 is provided with a sprocket wheel which receives its motionfrom the endless sprocket-chain 28, driven by a sprocketwheel 29,mounted on the axle 3.

represents a rock-shaft arranged parallel with the shaft 8, and to itsouter ends are fixed the seed-valves 31, fulcrumed in the standards 2323, their upper ends 33 extending into-the grooves 22 to control thepassage of the seed. This shaft 30 is provided with a vertical arm 34,the upper end of which is connected by a rod 35 to a corresponding arm36, fixed to a second rock-shaft 37, extending parallel with the shaft30 and having its free ends provided with the seed-valves 32, fulorumedin the grooves 26 in the standards 24. A link 39 connects the arm 36with an arm 40 on a counter-shaft 41, j ournaled in the parallel sidesof the frame 1. One end of said counter-shaft is formed with aright-angular arm 42, which projects into the path of the lateral studs43 43, fixed on the inner face of the outer ends of the'rotating bar 44,fixed to the axle 3 and rotating with it, so as to intermittentlyoscillate the counter-shaft 41 and the rock-shafts 30 and 37, which inturn opcrate the seed-valves heretofore described.

The inside walls of the seedboxes are provided with fixed angle-platesor levelers 45,

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which project across the path of the orifices of the seed-disks 19 andserve to sweep off the surplus seed that may project beyond the upperface of the seed-disks, thus insuring the exact quota each time they arecharged.

46 represents the rock-shaft, journaled in the parallel sides of theframe 1, and it is provided with a depending arm 47, which is connectedby a rod 48 to a vertical foot-lever 49, pivoted in the frame. The outerend of this rock-shaft 46 is formed with an angular arm 50, terminatingin a longitudinal toe 51, which is adapted to be projected into the pathof a lug 52, fixed to the felly of the carrying-wheel 4, and this toe isnormally held in the path of the lug by means of a spiral spring 53,connecting the free end of the frame, 2.

54 represents a rock-shaft journaled in bearings 55 55, fixed in theframe, and it is provided with a hand-lever 56, carrying a pawl 57,adapted to engage the segmental rack 58 to retain said shaft in theposition to which it may be adjusted.

59 59 represent integral horizontal parallel arms extending forwardlyfrom said shaft 54, and to their outer ends are connected the upper endsof the rods 60 60, which extend upwardly from the longitudinal parallelbars 61 61, fixed to the runner or furrow-opener frame 9. The lower endsof these rods 60 extend through an orifice 62 in the outer ends of saidbars 61 and their ends terminate in an enlarged head 63, and 64represents a spiral spring encompassing each rod between the bars 61 andthe arms 59, which serve to press the runner-blades into the soil.

65 represents a clutch fixed on the axle 3, and it is arranged to meshwith a counterpart clutch 66, formed on the contiguous face of thesprocket-wheel 29, which is held in engagement with said clutch 65 bythe spiral spring 67.

68 represents a V-shaped flange or collar formed integral with thesprocket-wheel 29, so that its beveled edge projects into the path of adog 69 on the rock-shaft 54, so that when the hand-lever 56 is thrownbackward to raise the runners or blades 13 clear of the ground this dog69 strikes the beveled face of the collar 68 to force it laterally asideand release the sprocket-wheel from the clutch 65, and when saidhand-lever is thrown forward to lower the runners the spring 67automatically throws the sprocket-wheel into engagement with said clutch65. A similar dog 70 is also fixed to the axle-shaft 3 and is adapted tobe thrown into the path of the hub 71 of the rotating bar 44 to press itlaterally aside and withdraw its studs 43 43 out of the path of the arm42 on the counter-shaft 41 to prevent it operating the seed-valves, and72 represents a spiral spring encompassing the axle between the hub ofthe main driving-wheel 4 and the bar 44 to restore the same to itsnormal position when released by the dog 7 0.

That portion of the axle 3 which receives the rotating bar 44 is squarein cross-section,

and the hub 71 of said bar is provided with a corresponding recess, sothat while the axle rotates the bar it also permits a lateral limitedmovement of the bar on the axle for the purpose of throwing it in andout of the path of the arm 42 on the counter-shaft 41.

73 73 represent marker-rods pivoted to the outside of the seedboxes, andeach marker is provided with a pin 74, which engages a hook 75 on theseedbox to retain said marker in an elevated position when not in use.

76 76 represent tubular standards fixed to the frame 1, and they areadditionally secured thereto by the braces.

77 represents an auxiliary axle journaled in the bearings 78 78, fixedto the lower ends of the spiral pressure-springs 79 79, housed in thetubular standards 76.

8O 80 represent small wheels mounted on the outer ends of the axle 77,which follow behind the runners and are intended to cover the insidepart of the rows as the corn is planted.

81 represents the usual seat supported by the spring-braces 82 82,secured to the frame 1, and 83 represents a transverse shaft journaledin the rear end of the frame, its outer ends being provided withscraper-blades 84 S4 to remove any accumulation of soil that may adhereto the wheels 4 5 when working in wet or heavy ground. This shaft 83 isprovided with a crank-arm 85, from which a rod 86 extends to thefoot-lever S7 to be manipulated by the driver for conveniently operatingthe scrapers.

88 represents a duplex marker secured to the outer end of a rod 90,pivoted at its inner end to the frame by the bolt 91, fixed in theextreme rear end of the frame 1, and 92 represents a chain or wire ropeextending from the eyebolt 93 on said rod to a corresponding eyebolt 94on the tongue or pole 10, so that the said marker may be adjustedlaterally on either side of the machine to lay off or mark the rows.

An important and, in fact, the main feature of my improved planter isthat the corn is planted standing apart at about ten or twelve inches,more or less, each hill containing four stalks standing in a perfectsquare, so that each hill may be cultivated between the stalks each wayof the ground.

Another valuable and important feature is that the machine will checkthe rows with or without the check-wire stretched across a field. Onlevel or smooth ground the checking or dropping of the corn is governedby the revolution of the master-wheel 4, which controls the operation ofthe whole machine;

but for ground that is rolling or rough the,

check-wire stretched across the field will be found more effective.

Although I have specifically described the construction and relativearrangement of the several elements of my invention, I do not desire tobe confined to the same, as such changes or modifications may be made asIIO clearly fall within the scope of my invention without departing fromthe spirit thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new anduseful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

A corn-planter comprising the U-shaped wheel-frame 1, the forward ends 66 of which are turned Vertically downward, the runnerframe 9, thetransverse shaft 8 fixed in said runner-frame, the clips 77encornpassing said shaft and having their ends pivoted to arms 6 6, theverticallygrooved standards 23 24: fixed in the outer ends of saidrunner-frame 9, the horizontally grooved runners or furrow-openers 13 13fixed to the lower ends of said standards, the circular seedboxes 12 12fixed on the upper ends of said standards, the vertical shafts 18, 18journaled in said seedboxes, the seed-disks 19 19 fixed to the upperends of said shafts, and the bevel-gears 17 17 fixed on the lower endsof said shafts, in combination with the transverse shaft 15, thebevel-gears 16 16 fixed on the outer edges of said shaft and in meshwith the gears 17 17,

and means for continuously rotating said

